Electrolytic water-purifier.



llnrrnn Stratus Patented October l?, 1903.

Partnr @idrica GEORGE W. FRAZIER, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,322, dated October 13, 1903. Applicationlled January 3, 1903. Serial No. 137.633. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WASHINGTON FRAZIER, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Electrolytic Tater-Purifiers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the igures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to electrolytic waterpuriers, and belongs to that class of apparatus built for the purpose of precipitating from water by means of current electricity the solid matter, whether organic or otherwise, held in solution or mechanically suspended by the fluid.

The object of my invention is the production of an electric purifier wherein the parts are of special construction and arrangement by means of which all the metal of the electrodes may be consumed without waste as the process of purification proceeds; and it isl also an object of my invention to provide a purier most easily taken apart or set up and composed of elements possessing the simplest practicable forms and least number, thereby rendering it unnecessary to change the design of the invention no matter what the required size may be. v

I attain the stated object by the employment and association of parts, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure lis a vertical mid-section, and Fig. 2

a top planfo the contact disks or plates. Fig. 3 represents a plan view of the insulatingcross that is situated between the electrodes, the scale of drawing being reduced in this iigure.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

Considering the drawings, numeral 1 marks the casing-tube, made of glass to permit a view of the interior or formed ofmetal for strength. The heads are designated by numbers 2 and 3, and they usually have the annnlar grooves 4 and 5' tting the edges of the 'tube and containing gaskets or packing-rings Ilet at the upper throat 10.

the electrodes.

6 and 7, of suitable substance. Boltrods 8 and 9, of which there may be any number, clamp the heads and tube together. The heads have threaded centrally-located throats 10 and 11 for connection with water-pipes to and from the apparatus. Head 2 has the additional threaded openings 12 and 13, closed by the insulating screw-plugs 14 and 15. Projecting from the tops of plugs 111 and 15 are conducting binding-screws 16 and 17, engaging nuts 18 and 19, and axially through the plugs the conductors 2O and 21 pass and are secured. Wires from any suitable source of electricity are connected with the apparatus Vby means of the nuts and binding-screws mentioned. Conductor 2O has its end within the tube in metallic connection with the contact plate or disk 22, shown as resting on an insulating-ring 23 upon the head 3. There are two contact-disks, and they may be duplicates. The second disk at the top of the apparatus is marked 24., and both have vertical tlanges, referred to by numbers 25 and 26. The lower disk 22 forms a seat for the electrode 27, which is pierced by an axial passage 28,through which Water passes upwardly against the bottom of the complemental companion electrode 29, where it spreads outwardly in all directions and finds a final out- Electrode 29 is a cylindrical block, and upon it and in metallic contact with it is the contact-disk 24E, already mentioncd. The flanges of the disks prevent their displacement with respect to Immediately between the electrodes and preventing actual contact one with the other is the insulating-cross 30, and at the extremities of its arms will be noted the buttons 31, the office of which is to prevent the electrodes from contact with the conductors 2O and 21 at undesired points. Each contact-disk is formed usually with a lug at one side. (See Fig. 2.) The lug on disk 22 is marked 32, and that on disk 24 is 33. The conductors make contact with the disks by way of the lugs. Conductor 2O has a fixed connection with lug 32, while conductor 21 passes down through lug 33 and is grasped by two spring-fingers 34 and 35, which maintain a constant and suiiicient electrical contact, yet allow the descent of electrode 29 as it is consumed by the electrochemical. action,

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or if the lower electrode be the one more rapidly eaten away `by electrical action the descent of the upper electrodeis thus permitted, and the distance between the electrodes is causedlto remain uniform, and therefore the electrical resistance of the device is kept constant.

Numbers 36 and 37 mark the central orifices through contact-plates 22 and 24, corresponding in position and size to the passage 28 through the lower electrode 27.

I prefer to constitute the electrodes of aluminium and the contact-disks and conductors of heavily silver-plated metal. Silver is practically unaffected in the presence of aluminium by the action of current electricity, and itis desired that the disks and conductors be renewed as infrequently as possible for obvious reasons of expenseand trouble of procuring new ones. My invention takes advantage of the peculiar natural or chemical property of the hydrated oxid of aluminium formed. This compound of the metal in water coagulates, collects, and throws down as invention the water is conducted into a suit able settling-basin or led to a lter, and the collected and coagulated impurities are wholly removed. The peculiar chemical and physical effects upon the water while passing through myinvention have been found to render subsequent settling or filtration vastly more thorough than would be possible without the treatment described, and the percentage of remaining micro-organisms is reduced to a minimum.

Usually the lower electrode 27 constitutes the anode ot' my invention; but that is not obligatory, and the current may be reversed in direction. Furthermore, I have found that an alternating current of suitable voltage and sufcient quantity will purify water passed through my invention. In practice it is sometimes advantageous to use more than one purifier arranged either one above another or in series, the water passing from one to another.

I am aware that numerous electrolytic water-purifiers have been constructed and that aluminium electrodes have been employed, and I do not claim those features broadly.

What I claim, and seek to secure by Letters Patent, is

1.l Inan electrolytic water-purilier, the combination of the casing having removable heads provided with water-pipe connections, a lower contact-plate and a conductor connected thereto and leading out of the casing, a lower electrode resting upon said contact-plate, an upper electrode above the said lower electrode and an insulating piece between the electrodes, an upper contact-plate resting on the upper electrode, means adapted to direct water between the electrodes, a second conductor leading out of the casing, and devices whereby a constant connection is maintained between the upper contact-plate and said second conductor and permitting an up or down movement of the plate, substantially as described.

2. In an electrolytic waterpurier,the combination of the casing having removable heads provided with water-pipe connections, a lower contact-plate having a circumferential perpendicular Iiange, a conductor connected to said plate and leading out of the casing,a lower electrode resting on said contact-plate, an upper electrode above the said lower electrode, a cross of insulating material arranged between the electrodes and the arms of the cross having terminal buttons, an upper contact-plate resting on the upper electrode and having a circumferential perpendicular flange, means adapted to direct water between the electrodes, a second conductor leading out of the casing, and devices whereby a constant connection is maintained between the upper contact-plate and said second conductor permitting an up or down movement of the plate, substantially as described.

Y3. In an electrolytic water-purifier, the combination of the casing having removable heads and provided with water-pipe connections, a lower contact-plate having a central orifice, a cond uctor connected with said plate and leading out of the casing, a lower electrode resting upon the plate and having a central passage corresponding to the orifice of the plate, an upper electrode above the said lower electrode and an insulatingpiece between the said electrodes, the pipe connection in the lower head also corresponding to the orifice of the said plate and directing water through the plate and electrode causing it to pass between the electrodes, an upper contact-plate resting on the upper electrode, a second conductor leading out of the casing, and devices whereby aconstant contact is maintained between the upper contact-plate and said second conductor permitting an up or down movement of the plate, substantially as described.

4. In an electrolytic water-purifier, the combination ofthe casing having removable heads and provided with water-pipe connections, a lower contact-plate having a silver surface and a central orifice, a conductor connected with said plate and leading out of the casing, a lower aluminium electrode resting upon the plate and having a central passage corresponding to the orifice of the plate, an upper aluminium electrode above the said lower electrode and an insulating-piece between the said electrodes, the pipe connection in ICO IZO

the lower head also corresponding to the oriductor permitting an up or down movement 1o iice of the said plate and directing Water of the plate, substantially as described. through the plate and electrode causing it to In testimony whereof I affix my signature pass between the electrodes, an upper conin presence of two Witnesses. tact-plate having a silver surface and resting 1 on the upper electrode, a second conductor GEORGE W' FRAZIB'R' leading out of the casing, and devices Wherel Witnesses:

by a constant contact is maintained between JOHN NOLAND, the upper contact-plate and said second con- J. P. APPLEMAN. 

